


Found

by Elenhin



Series: Missing [1]
Category: The Almighty Johnsons
Genre: Christmas, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-06
Updated: 2013-11-06
Packaged: 2017-12-31 16:30:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1033866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elenhin/pseuds/Elenhin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A sequel to Missing, who is a continuation, sort of filler for the One Word at a Time by Aramirandme81, who mentioend something about Valerie not being able to deny what she did, and well, thus the sequal happened. </p>
<p>It might work to read it alone, but best is to read 'Missing' first, and even better is to make sure to read One Word At a Time by Aramirandme81, before or after, or before as well as after... It's good to read it at any time...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Found

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Aramirandme81](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aramirandme81/gifts).



> Big thanks to Aramirandme81 for the privilage and the inspiration, I hope you enjoy it.

Found

The air is stuffy and tense after Axl nearly mentioned Anders, and Ty is finding it quite hard to take. Mike is sympathetic, and Ty gets the feeling that he too misses Anders, it’s just too hard for him to admit. He’s pretty sure of it though because Mike stands looking at the Christmas tree, and he looks sad.

Val is still annoyed with them, but she does not care that Mike is looking at the tree that way, she’s trying to convince Axl to have more fudge instead. Apparently she thinks it’s easy for them to forget their brother, but it’s not.

One thing their mum did was to buy them christmas decorations. When they were five, she bought one for them. Something special to hang in the tree that she picked out just for them. No one got hang someone elses, and no one was allowed to tease anyone else about where they hung it. Axl would hang everything as high as he could, and tease Anders who couldn’t reach, but those were special and there were no teasing.

Mike is the first to hang his, a golden star made of glass with flakes of tinted gold littering the surface so that it sparkles and shines when the light hits it. Becuase he is the oldest, so he has to lead the way for the others she would say. Mike hangs it near the top where with the others under it so that the star is sort of looking down on them. It’s his job, to keep an eye on his brothers.

Anders has a glass bell, one that tinkles when you tap it to let it swing, becuase she found him seated on the floor in the mall once, tapping a small bell on the christmas tree there over and over again to make it ring gently. She had seen how other adults for once was not annoyed by the child who couldn’t leave the ornaments alone, but smiled as they watched him carefully ring the bell over and over again.

He always hangs it low on the tree so he can comfortably sit there and ring it.

Ty got a snowflake becuase he’s the one who loved to play in the snow the most. It’s a sort of crystal, and it will catch the sun rays and turn them into a rainbow of bright colours that lightens up the whole room. The intricate carving is a masterpiece and he always thought it looked like really beautiful.

It hangs just in the middle between the star and the bell.

Axl has a glass angel with painted wings that looks just like real feathers. Mums little angel she’d say and it always made him feel so proud.

He hangs it high up close to the star, just to tease Anders a little that he can reach that high.

Now Mike is looking at the tree. The star high up by the top, the angel just under it and a snowflake halfway down. The bell is still carefully packed in the box. Val had tried to hang it, claiming it was too beautiful to lie in the box when they ignored it, and Axl blurted out it was Anders’ and only he was allowed to hang it.

Of course then Val had tried to get rid of it claiming they should not clutter the house with his junk, but Mike had been firm there. The bell was staying in the box, but it was staying, no matter what Anders had done it was staying.

The way Mike is looking at the tree now, looking at where there should have hung a bell Ty can tell he really misses Anders.

It hurts that they have still not heard from him, that he couldn’t even call or send a card, or in any way acknowledge them. It’s Christmas, and it hurts so much that Anders has forgotten them already.

He takes the garbage out, just to try and stop thinking about Anders. Gathering up the torn wrapping papers, or as much as he can find. Axl strews tiny bits of paper everywhere. They’ll still be finding tiny bits of wrapping paper in the winter he knows.

When he opens the bin though he sees wrapping paper already there, golden paper glimmering and he frowns, looking closer. It’s a wrapped box, with a label and Axl’s name printed on it. Fishing it out Ty realizes there are more of them, about half a dozen boxes, with his name and Axl’s name on them. There’s a card too, no message, but Mike’s name on it.

The handwriting belongs to Anders, but there is no way Anders would take presents to their house just to throw them in the bin, and Mike wouldn’t do it. No matter how mad he is at Anders, he’d never do that to Axl, and Ty grits his teeth as he realizes Valerie must have thrown them out.

The wrapping paper is partially soiled, but he takes them inside, carefully removes the labels and then rewraps them. He do not want to see Val at the moment, so he slips past her, fuming over what she must have done, and instead finds Axl.

“What’s going on,” Axl demands when Ty drags him into the room he used to share with Anders.

“Look what I found outside,” Ty tries to sound cheerful for Axl’s sake. He’s still too young to really know what’s going on.

“More presents?” Axl asks confused.

“They’re from Anders,” Ty tells him. “He left them here for us.”

Axl snatches the closest one, hugging it to his chest so hard that Ty hopes it isn’t something that can break. “Why didn’t he come give them to us?” he asks, sniffing. “Why didn’t he come give them to us the right way?”

“Becuase stuff are pretty wrong right now, and it’s hard, but see, he really wants you to have a good christmas Axl,” Ty urges.

“Make him come back,” Axl pleads, still hugging the present.

“I think he might, but not today,” Ty sighs. “But open it now, see what he gave you.” It’s the first time in his life that he sees Axl open a present carefully. He refuses to let the paper tear, cause Anders wrapped it he declares and Ty feels the anger flare up again, becuase it’s not the paper Anders wrapped them in, but he does not tell Axl that.

The first present is a LEGO car that Axl has been begging for for months before Christmas. Valerie said it was too much money for something he’s finished with in just an hour so she wouldn’t buy it. How Anders knew Ty really can’t understand. It’s not like he has been able to ask him. It’s weird, but Axl doesn’t care, he just stares at the box in awe, stroking his hand over the picture.

“Open one of yours now,” he urges quietly, and Ty thinks it’s partially becuase he wants to savor the present he just unpacked.

Ty nearly cries when he puts the paper away, it’s like Anders has still been with them and knows everything that has been going on. There’s a cookbook and an apron, a real chef’s apron. Not one of those flower things, or with fun messages on them. A real proper apron that any cook might use. And Ty is really starting to like to bake and cook.

Axl is just as careful with his next present, and Ty is surprised at first, the LEGO was something expensive and for a moment he thought Anders was trying to make up for not being there with expensive things. What Axl is holding now though is a small box of watercolours. Not really expensive at all, but Axl is beaming.

“I told Anders ages ago I wanted watercolours,” he beams. “Cause I wanna learn to paint, but Val would get mad if I got paint on stuff. He said I should try watercolours, but Val always says it’s a waste of money cause I can use them in school.”

So the money hasn’t had anything to do with it, Anders has simply bought what he’s sure they’ve really been wanting. Things that Valerie does not really want to get for various reasons. Like the green herbal tea Ty unpacks. He has been wanting to try it, but it costs a lot more than regular tea, and they have to be careful with their money so she do not want to waste it.

Axl’s last gift is paper for the water colour, but not ordinary paper. Here it is clear that Anders have not saved any expense for it is the professional paper that won’t get soggy or bend. There are also brushes specially made for water colours.

His last gift is a gift voucher for the sushi restaurant that has opened in town, and he really wants to try it. Sushi is expensive though, so he have not even bothered to ask.

Again, apparently Anders just knows, though he has mentioned sushi even before Anders left.

Axl has carefully opened the LEGO and is now slowly assembling it, so Ty picks up the card that was left for Mike and goes in search of his brother.

“Hey, where did you two sneak off to?” Mike asks him as he approaches.

“We had a few more presents to open,” Ty tells him. “This was for you.” He holds out the card and Mike takes it, frowning.

“Anders?” he asks and Ty nods.

“He left stuff for me and Axl, a couple of presents, don’t know why he didn’t get you a real present.”

“I think I know,” Mike muses. “But it was good of him, I didn’t know he had done that.”

“I only found out when I took out he trash, the gifts were in the bin,” Ty scowls. “He wouldn’t bring them here and throw them away Mike, and you’d never do that. Val must have thrown them away, how can she be that mad at him? We can’t even say his name, and now he must be all alone, and he got the best stuff for me and Axl, he got that LEGO Axl wanted, and watercolours for him. And Val threw it away in the trash, how could she do that?”

“This is hard for Val,” he sighs. “But she shouldn’t have done that.”

“It’s mean,” Ty states. “Axl is saving the paper cause Anders wrapped them, but I had to throw that paper away cause it was all kinds of gross stuff on it, and how would Axl feel if he finds out? She can’t do something like that Mike, it’s not right. I know what Anders did, but it’s Christmas, and he must think we don’t care about him anymore, but he still got us presents.”

“I’m sorry Ty, but there’s nothing I can do,” Mike sighs. Anders wouldn’t have gotten him a gift, because he’d be too scared of how Mike would take it. But he wouldn’t ignore his brother, he’d never do that, so he got a Christmas card.

“I’m gonna go find him,” Ty decides. “We don’t have anything for him, but I don’t want him to be alone all Christmas. I’m gonna find him.”

“Ty, you can’t,” Mike shakes his head. “You don’t even know where he is, and Valerie is making dessert.”

“I don’t care, I don’t wanna see her anyway,” Ty snaps. “And I don’t care if I have to search everywhere, he’s gonna be trying to live close to the Uni, I know that much. And I’m gonna find him.”

“You can go there tomorrow,” Mike tries, but Ty shakes his head.

“No, I’m going now,” then he pauses as he realizes what Mike have just said. “You know where he is? Admit it Mike, you know where he lives.”

“Yeah, I do,” he scratches his chin. “Stay for dessert Ty, then I’ll let you go.”

“I’m too mad, I’m going now,” he grits his teeth. “She can’t do that to Anders, and to Axl.”

“Fine, but I’m not having you out on the streets this late, I’ll drive you over,” Mike tells him. “And you call me when you want me to pick you up. You don’t go by yourself.”

“Okay,” if it means he can go, he’s willing to agree to those terms.

Mike drives him to an apartment building near the Uni and drops him off, then goes back home. He’s torn between facing Valerie and asking her about it, or letting it slide, but when Val sees Axl with the LEGO and asks where he got it he takes her to the bedroom.

“Did you know Anders brought that stuff for them?” he asks quietly. The last thing Axl needs is hearing another argument during Christmas.

“I know he tried to ruin their Christmas,” she states.

“He was trying to show them he still cares,” he sighs tiredly.

“No, see, this is what he’s trying to do,” she flares up. “We’ve had a great Christmas Mike, a perfect one. Unlike last year.”

“Last year was good,” now he’s confused, not sure what was wrong with it. The only problem was that Valerie forgot about Anders food intolerance when she cooked the dinner, and so Anders hadn’t been able to eat it, which meant Axl had refused out of sympathy. So Mike had driven to McDonalds to pick up a nice spread of junk food for the two of them. Hamburgers, fries, chicken nuggets and so on. It had been amusing with such an odd selection of food. Anders could eat some of the dishes, and happily shared his nuggets, so the four brothers had all had some of each. He wasn’t dangerously allergic, but it wasn’t a good idea for him to eat certain things, and Valerie was stressed and simply forgot, Anders wasn’t mad about it at all, he had just shrugged and asked if there was something else, since they did not really have anything else, Mike decided on a McDonalds trip.

“He made a fuss Mike, and blamed me, becuase I forgot. It’s not easy keeping track of everything and having to cook it all by yourself. He could have helped, and made his own food, instead he started whining and got Axl upset,” she rants and Mike frowns. It’s not how he remembers it at all.

“Axl gets upset when he thinks someone is missing out on something, he was upset becuase he thought the food was great and Anders missed it. It was just fine though, and everyone was happy. Anders didn’t blame you.” If anything Anders had been resigned and not really very surprised. The fact he had asked about what was in it before he started eating showed he was aware Valerie might have forgot. He hadn’t even dished it up before he asked, so he wouldn’t have food he couldn’t eat on his plate.

“You didn’t see the looks he gave me,” she snaps to defend herself. “And now he still tries to ruin it for Ty and Axl.”

“No, he sought to give them christmas presents,” he points out. “And we can’t deny him that right. I agree he can’t come here, but if Ty and Axl wants to visit him, we have to allow it, he’s their brother, and they miss him. You can’t expect them to forget about him.”

“But he showed up here, do you have any idea how it felt to look out the window and see him walk up the drive?” she demands.

“He wouldn’t attack you Val,” he rubs a tired hand over his face. “And Ty and Axl has the right to see him, and get presents from him. He can’t come in here unless you’re okay with it. But from now on, if they want to see him they can, he can come here and pick them up, or drop them off, and he can leave things for them, and you have to allow it.

He leaves the room and Valerie slams the door shut behind him, for once he stood up to her, but it does not feel good at all. He can only hope Ty is having more luck with Anders. He’s a little worried about what Ty will find. He’s checked up briefly on Anders, without his brother knowing. He actually used his powers to find him, and he did not like what he saw. Anders struggling to pay four courses and books at the same time as he needs money for rent and food on a part time job. While studying he can’t work more, and he knows money is tight for him, and he knows he is drinking more than is healthy, and not eating properly. It’s not really surprising, but it makes him sad knowing Anders has most likely been spending Christmas with only alcohol for company. The stereotype of a young man on the way down before he even had a chance to really accomplish something.

Ty finds the tiny apartment Anders lives in, there being half a sheet of white paper with ‘A. Johnson’ written on it taped to the door. No one answers when he knocks, but the door isn’t locked so he opens it and steps inside.

It really is a tiny apartment. A short hallway with a tiny kitchen on one side, and he can see into what is both a bedroom and a lounge. Another half open door is a small bathroom and there are not much furniture. A couch and a coffee table, a small television set on a table. An armchair next to the couch holds what looks like a heap of blankets and pillows and there is no bed. Obviously Anders sleeps on the couch, the alarm clock on the floor next to it confirming it. The fish tank in the corner making soft gurgling noises and giving a faint glow.

The coffee table is holding empty beer cans as well as a carton of pizza with only one slice missing, there is also a box of Chinese takeaway. A bottle of alcohol stands within comfortable reach of the couch and Anders is watching some black and white movie. Given the fact that the cap to the alcohol is on the table Ty isn’t really surprised that his brother who’s stretched out on the couch hasn’t even looked up.

Suddenly Ty is unsure, partially because Anders doesn’t look very well. He’s only wearing denim shorts, and he’s a lot thinner than Ty recalls, and Anders was never big to begin with. Also, it’s obvious that he’s been drinking and he worries that maybe he’s really drunk.

“Anders?” he mumbles quietly and his brother starts.

“Fucks sake Ty!” he cries, leaping up, then makes a double take. “What the hell are you doing here? Val will be pissed. You can’t be here.”

“I don’t care, I know you left us presents Anders, we thought you didn’t care anymore cause it was Christmas and we didn’t get to hear from you at all, but she threw them out.” He does not know if Anders even knows what he’s talking about, but he nods.

“I know bro, it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have gone there,” he gives him a sad smile. “But I saw her throw them in the bin, how did you get them?”

“I found them,” he tells him. “And I changed the paper so Axl wouldn’t know. It was good it was in boxes too, and we opened them, and you should have seen how happy he was. He’s been wanting that LEGO for real long, and I don’t know how you know, but he was so happy about it, and I don’t care what Val says now, she shouldn’t have done that.”

“It’s my fault,” Anders reaches for the bottle, and Ty’s afraid that he’ll start drinking again, but Anders puts the cap back on instead and puts it away behind the couch. “Do Mike knows you’re here?”

“He took me, said to call him when I’m going back,” since Anders apparently is willing to suffer his company, he sits down beside him. “I’ve missed you Anders, Axl’s missed you, why can’t you come back? At least for a bit? Come visit and have dinner with us.”

“Oh yeah, Val would love that,” he chuckles. “Sorry Ty, but I messed up a bit too much for that. I’m surprised Mike agreed to let you come.”

“Mike’s pissed about her throwing away our presents too, she wanted to throw out your bell, but he wouldn’t let her,” he ads. “I don’t think Mike’s as mad at you anymore.”

“Hmm,” Anders leans back, rubbing at his eyes.

“Are you okay?” Ty bites his lip, taking in the apartment again. There’s really not much to say someone lives here, the only ‘real’ thing in the room being the fish tank in the corner.

“Sure,” Anders shrugs, but Ty can tell he does not understand what he’s asking. “Wish I had some candy or at least decent food now that I’ve got company, but if you’re hungry, you’re gonna have to make do with that,” he nods to the food on the table. “Or, I can probably get something,” he decides. He’s just about broke, having spent what money he had left on their presents but if Ty is hungry, he’d spend his every last cent.

“I had dinner,” Ty shrugs. He’s a little uncomfortable, not knowing what to say to Anders, becuase there is so much he wants to say, so instead he throws his arms around him in a tight hug.

“Hey, hey, no strangling, okay?” Anders chuckles, and for the first time since Ty entered he sounds happy, so he squeezes a little harder, until Anders do make a choked sound, then he lets go.

“I wanna see you more,” Ty states firmly. “You can’t ignore me and Axl anymore, okay?”

“Sure, unless Mike kills me for ‘corrupting’ you two,” he teases.

Ty slaps his arm, to show him he is serious. “I mean it, you can’t stay away, I won’t let you. And if you try, you’ll be sorry.”

“Yeah, what you gonna do?” he’s genuinely curious since Ty really isn’t one for revenge.

“I’ll take Axl with me here, and find you at class, and let him wrestle you down so everyone can see,” he beams.

“Oh, you’re learning a cruel streak,” Anders sniffs at the pizza, he hadn’t felt like eating before, now he does, but he’s not sure the pizza is really edible anymore. “I’ll see you more Ty, I promise. I, I did not enjoy this, it’s been pretty shitty without you two.”

“It’s shitty without you too,” Ty states seriously. “I think Mike thinks so too, it’s just harder for him, cause Val won’t really let him miss you cause she’s so mad.”

“Well, she has the right to be,” Anders stands, finding his flip flops on the floor. “Look, I’m just gonna find us something to eat, okay?”

“I’m going with you,” Ty beams. “That way, you don’t have to buy crap, you can just get something good, and I’ll cook it and make a Christmas dinner,”

“That’d be great Ty,” Anders smiles softly.

He throws the old leftovers away while Ty cooks a simple meal, noodles and canned ham serving for christmas dinner. The pizza was getting furry though, so it’s probably a good thing he did not eat it, and the food Ty has cooked is the best he has had in what must be a year he thinks.

Ty’s asleep on the couch though, and he does not want to wake him, but he do not want Mike to beat down the door either, so instead he dials Mike’s phone.

“Hello,” his brother answers quickly.

“Just letting you know I haven’t done anything to Ty, in case you were thinking of calling the police on me, but he’s asleep and I don’t wanna wake him.”

“That’s cool,” Mike states to his surprise. “Can you keep him for the night?”

“Well, yeah,” Anders is completely thrown, he had expected Mike to demand he got back instantly.

“I’ll bring Axl over in the morning, it’s too late to do so now, but I promised him he could.”

“You’re letting me have Axl?” he blinks, wondering if he drank more alcohol than he thought before Ty came.

“From now on, whenever you, and they want, as long as it doesn’t get in the way of school,” Mike states. “And anyway, Axl has made a watercolour painting for you.”

Anders is stunned, and has to rub at his eyes and swallow. “Thanks Mike.”

“Merry Christmas little brother,” Mike says softly before hanging up.

Anders covers Ty with a blanket, curling up in an armchair. Suddenly it really is Christmas.

The End

Please comment, the Cricket is hungry, and again, wants to thank Aramirandme81 for the idea for this, thank you :D


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